Aeris and Cloud Take to the Skies 2017
by sanctum-c
Summary: Prompt fills for Aeris and Cloud week on tumblr.
1. Hiding in the Dark

Aeris ran into the darkness of Sector Three with Cloud on her heels. Any moment the blossoming pain of a bullet might strike her, or she might trip, or- She kept on running, still uninjured for now. Ahead an alley loomed out of the dark and she darted towards it. Aeris skidded to a halt and pressed her back against the wall as she fought her breathing under control. Cloud panted beside her. "Think we lost them?" he asked after a moment.

"Hope so," she murmured. Sector Three was too quiet now, minute noises magnified in the stillness as they echoed off the plate above them. Both adjacent sectors glared with light and noise; not enough to cover them if they had not quite evaded the Shinra troops. The plan had almost worked; Mako Reactor Three loomed silently above the sector though the flickering flames left in the wake of the explosion were not visible. It would be hours before Shinra got them under control and they could even begin to assess the damage. If only that one patrol had not come around when it did- Aeris shook herself and edged to the alley entrance. They had coped with the unexpected outcome – more or less. Fleeing into Sector Three had been a hasty improvisation. Hopefully Tifa, Barret and Jessie were all okay while taking the other escape route.

"We need to check in with the others," Cloud said and hefted his sword in readiness.

Aeris nodded. Could he see her in the gloom? "Quickest route back is through the centre." She took a deep breath, her lungs almost recovered from the exertion and peered around the corner. Aeris swore. "They followed us in."

Bright lights blazed through the darkened sector; what must have been a full division of blue-uniformed troops had entered. Not moving directly towards them – at least not yet – they seemed to at least suspect their quarry had come here. Around them, the panicked movement of the Sector's denizens should provide them with some cover, but Shinra were not gentle with those they detained. Too risky to hope the troops would overlook them. "Too many to take," Cloud murmured while peering around the corner. Aeris's raised eyebrow would likely be invisible in the gloom but still: her partner went on one successful mission and he thought himself akin to a SOLDIER?

"Far too many," she agreed dismissing the concern. "We need to move." She hurried down the alley, holding her staff by her side. It would not do to attract attention by tapping it against the ground as she normally did. Every scrunch of plastic or clatter of metal and glass provoked fearful glances behind them. Were the lights getting too bright too quick? But it was not as if they could move any faster without risking a trip over something or someone. And who knew what monsters were now on the prowl in the opportune darkness of the sector?

As if to make her point, a burst of machine-gun fire echoed far too close for comfort. Monster attack, or a belligerent by-stander, or- Or someone mistaken for an Avalanche member? Another glance back; the end of the alley brightened. No. Not like this. The roofs were low nearby and a pile of debris allowed an access up and out of the alley. Aeris scrambled up and offered Cloud her hand. She turned to clamber up the roof and stopped. No good; to either side was a fall into a moldering store-room. Would the doors be accessible? She was on the verge of clambering back down when two figures entered the alley. Aeris froze and flattened herself down against the roof.

Both troops held their guns ready and tried doors on either side of the alley as they approached. They crunched through the refuse without pause, light from their helmets flicking over everything. How long could they hope to avoid them? She and Cloud might be wearing dark clothing, but that was not going to help under a spotlight. They could drop into one of the storerooms and hope neither of the troops heard them – and then that the men would pass on without finding them. Cloud took her hand as the men came closer and Aeris did her best to slow her breathing. Something attracted the nearest trooper. He strode towards them- And forced open the door to the storeroom below them. His light swept the interior and with a grunt of disappointment the man returned to the alley.

How long were they going to be stuck here while these Shinra goons went over the whole Sector meter by meter? If only they could pass themselves off as part of Shinra- "Cloud," Aeris hissed. His face was faintly visible as he turned to look at her. "I have an idea." She grinned. "Let's take their uniforms."

"What?"

"We disguise ourselves as troops and walk out of here." They would need to leave their weapons behind; attracting attention by carrying a staff and a sword was precisely what they did not want. But in this darkness and if they made sure to steer clear of other troops the plan should work. "We can try that or wait for them to give up, but I don't really want to spend the night like this." Cloud paused for a moment and nodded. Below them the troops reached the end of the alley and announced an all clear over a crackling radio. A gruff voice accepted the report and ordered them deeper into the sector. "Now!" whispered Aeris when the pair passed back underneath. She brought all her weight down onto the nearest trooper, Cloud knocking the other to the ground a moment later. A quick use of sleep materia and both guards were unconscious.

A swift change in the gloom, the chill air only uncomfortable for a moment as Aeris pulled on the shorter trooper's uniform. Not a great fit but passable. She tried the door of the other storeroom; it held firm. A decent enough location to stow their weapons and clothes for now - only accessible from above. They would worry about getting them back another day. Cloud helped her drag both unconscious troops into the other storeroom. Shame it would all but confirm how close Shinra came to capturing them, but if the rest of the plan went well, that would be a worry for another day. The troop's commander impatiently called in demanding a progress report; Cloud assumed a gruff voice and claimed some problems with footing in the alley. The voice on the radio did not seem best pleased; he promised some form of discipline when they returned to base. "Almost feel sorry for the guy," Cloud commented with a backwards glance to the storeroom.

"Rather him than us," Aeris said. Outside the alley, the various squads of Shinra troops were distant pools of light in the darkened sector. The towering hub of Midgar was still illuminated and together Aeris and Cloud made their way towards it. All anyone should see were two Shinra troops hunting Avalanche members. And who knew? Maybe the uniforms would come in handy for other missions. Good for infiltration if nothing else. Not far from the hub Aeris shivered in the chill air; she reached out and took Cloud's hand. Once they were back she wanted nothing more than a good long sleep, cuddled up beside him.


	2. Ideal, Temperature-Wise

There was something about the cold that always attracted Aeris. In some parts of the world the level of warmth was as good an indication as any of when to move onto wherever was next. Her own wanderlust was enough to get her moving whenever she and Cloud strayed more to the colder, Northern regions. But every time they went South, Aeris was reminded that the heat and sun were not for her. She had visited Costa del Sol once, tried sunbathing and found it quickly boring. It was more bearable with something to read; but trying to lie out in the sun with a book only saw her getting hotter and hotter until she could take it no more. Boiling under the intense sun she skipped across burning sand to dive into the ocean for a while. The pool at the hotel might have been better - with almost zero chance of sea-dwelling creatures - but it was not a risk she was willing to take; the rest of that visit was spent in the shade of a beach umbrella and later not venturing outside except during the cooler stages of the day.

Nibelheim was close to ideal temperature-wise. Shame it came with so much baggage for Cloud, to say nothing of an eerie, unshakeable feeling of discomfort. It was safe there – more or less as safe as anywhere – but impossible to ignore the looming, twisted spectre of Mount Nibel. Nor could she overlook how the somehow still-standing Shinra mansion; not only once Vincent and Cloud's tomb, but also instrumental in the birth of Sephiroth - and all that resulted from Hojo's experimentions. They were both content to pass through the town as they wandered, thoughts of suggesting a return and rehabilitation of the place gone.

Mideel was amongst her most sought after destinations at first. She was attempting to catch up on the experiences of her companions and it was somewhere entirely new for her to see. But the island's heat pushed her away before long, the voice of the Planet so loud, so clear thanks to the Mako gushing up from the vents in the ocean floor. It did little good besides distracting from her own desires and plans. Still worth the visit; Cloud took pains to seek out the medical team responsible for his rescue and care. They remained the only physicians Aeris had ever known him to trust. Understandable in the circumstances.

Icicle Inn and the far North were enticing for similar reasons; other new locations. So much snow to wade through, even if the novelty of it soon wore off despite the aesthetic effect on the landscape. Cloud had been excited for their first visit together, eager to show her the remains of her mother and father's home. Pain here too; hard to overlook the bullet holes in the wall, and the unpleasant implications of one of the only remaining images of her father. Again, there had been a notion entertained of reclaiming this space, of undoing years of neglect and Hojo's aggressive actions. Cloud had wanted to at least try and recreate the home she never had. But there was too much pain here, too much to correct. Hojo had tainted this place too. Besides; as much as it was technically once her home, it would never feel the same as the house in Sector Five – or Elmyra's new home in Kalm.

As with Nibelheim, she and Cloud spent a single night at the inn before moving on. Her sombre dwelling on the past faded as they moved farther North and once more to the unfamiliar. The voice of the Planet grew faint, fainter than even at the heart of Midgar. Few people lived so far past Icicle Inn; the last of them was Mr. Holozoff who still remembered Cloud and his companions from their previous visit to the region. He warmly greeted Aeris and told her of Avalanche's astonishing feat in climbing the cliffs. The reveal of their plan to repeat that feat did not surprise him and he wished them the best of luck. The next day they started climbing. No Sephiroth to pursue, no Shinra to avoid. No reason to scale Gaea's cliffs other than pure curiosity.

The North Crater was so much more than Aeris could ever have imagined. Cloud tried to describe how it had been before Sephiroth took the Black materia from him; the mist-shrouded growths of rock and the fountain of mako at the centre. All gone now, leaving behind nothing but a deep pit, its depths lost in darkness. Once this had been the gate-way to Sephiroth's domain; now it lay barren, the Planet willing to leave at least this scar unhealed. Even the air was colder now; Cloud commented on how warm the cliff-tops had been when Avalanche began their journey to that final confrontation. So different now, no more than a handful of years later. Aeris shivered and brushed against her companion. That night they curled together in their tent. No matter where they went, Cloud seemed to be the perfect temperature to compliment her own. Aeris wriggled back against him and enjoyed his warmth.


	3. Borrowing Without Permission

For reasons best known to herself, Tifa waited until the middle of the mission to ask what was - in retrospect - a tremendously pertinent question. "Do you think you might have a problem?" she asked in a low voice.

Aeris paused, wirecutters poised on the next link in the fence and turned to face her in the gloom. "What do you mean?" she replied in the same moment she squeezed the device and snipped the metal clean in two.

"This," Tifa said and gestured at the fence. The arc of her arm suggested her question encompassed everything; the chain-link fence, the wirecutters, perhaps even the Junon runway and maybe the waiting Gelnikas. "If we get away with this-"

"We will," Aeris grinned as she snipped another link.

"If," Tifa emphasised the word. "If we get away with this, this will be the second-"

"Third," Cloud chimed in on Aeris's other side. He held the cut away section of fence and tugged it higher as she cut each link.

"Right. Third aircraft you have stolen," Tifa said stressing the integer. She sighed.

"I'm not stealing them." Aeris ignored Tifa's indignant look to focus on the fence and cut another link. "I'm just-" There had to be a better way of describing the situation, some way of not making it sound so much like a crime. "Borrowing without permission." The glance over her shoulder was at the right moment to catch the eye-roll from Tifa. Oh well. That excuse had been rather a long shot. "Plus, only two of the previous ones were from Shinra."

"Oh, that makes it so much better." Tifa fell silent for a moment. "You really should give Cid the Tiny Bronco back if this works." Aeris had effectively won it seemed; Tifa was rationalizing their situation. And despite the topic of conversation, she was taking her duty as look-out seriously. Once again she squinted in the dim light for any threats in the vicinity.

A fair point from her all the same. It was not as if Aeris could fly all three aircraft at once. "I might." Another click and finally the hole was wide enough. Cloud helped her pull the section of fence back far enough to let the three of them through. First stage complete; they were inside the base perimeter. "But depends on how easy it is to find somewhere to take off and land the Gelnika. At least the Tiny Bronco can do VTOL." Getting Cid to teach her how to fly in Rocket Town had opened up so many opportunities. If there had been more time she might have impressed upon him to teach her the basics of the Shinra-26's control systems. Tifa's question still bugged her a little. "All things considered I really don't think I do have a problem."

Tifa eyed her for a moment. "You are quite definitely a kleptomaniac." She held a stern expression long enough that Aeris opened her mouth to protest; Tifa grinned at her a second later. "I suppose I shouldn't complain though. This is kinda fun."

"And its not as if Shinra are the nicest people," Aeris added with a nod.

"But this is still risky," Cloud noted. Back in guard uniform for him. Not the best disguise but hopefully sufficient enough to avoid a second look from anyone who managed to spot them while they made their way to the planes. Should be unnecessary; as per the plan, the Junon power system would blow in a little over ten minutes. A little trick courtesy of an unusual arrangement of both Time and Fire materia near the exposed transformers. The resulting chaos should give them all the cover they would need to grab the nearest prepped Gelnika and be out of radar range before Shinra knew anything was amiss. "At least we're not going after one of the subs-" Cloud clapped his hand over his mouth. Too late.

"There are submarines here?" Aeris could not fight back a grin as her eyes widened. Travelling underwater was a whole other adventure she had not even considered before.

"Yeah." Cloud said with a wince.

"You do love me right?" She asked taking a step closer to him and batted her eyelids.

"I do." He glanced towards the Gelnikas. " But can we maybe steal this one before worrying about it?" Cloud looked hopeful.

Aeris pursed her lips and met his gaze. "I suppose so." She let out an exaggerated sigh and threw her arms around his shoulders. Their lips met; a second later Tifa interrupted their embrace with a polite cough. "Sorry!" Aeris whirled around to face their target. "Let's do this!"


	4. Something To Do

Six months of being alive again and the Planet did not seem to have any immediate plans to drag Aeris back to the Lifestream. Good. That worry caused any number of sleepless nights. Exhaustion might eventually force her eyes shut but the worry would wake her right back up mere moments later. It took a long while to shake the fear she might find herself back in that chorus of voices and green all over again. She had a second shot at life – more than temporary it seemed – and as a result she was going to make the most of it. So many plans, so many ideas. So much food to try. Places to see. People to meet and express amazement that she here and around them all over again.

Aeris saw a fair amount of Reeve – even outside of the occasional meetings they had together; he liked to stop by her apartment at least once a day to check if she needed anything, how she was getting on, any problems and so on. Always interesting to meet the man behind Cait Sith; the man who had gone on to be more or less in charge of the world and was as a result perpetually busy. Quite how that squared with Yuffie in some kind of assistant capacity was an early mystery. The solution was somewhat mundane. Time and events had changed the ninja; two whole years and she had not stolen everything the WRO had or made off with the stock-piled mass of materia the company hung onto. Yuffie had grown up.

Cloud was a periodic regular visitor thanks to his rounds as a courier, while Tifa stayed in Edge and kept the Seventh Heaven running. Nice to visit the establishment on occasion – even if it was so different to the original. Barret's quest for oil was now over and he was toiling somewhere in the WRO to identify something less environmentally disastrous. The resources could keep them going until they figured out an alternate, but they needed some other power source fast. Yesterday if at all possible. His proximity ensured Aeris spent a lot of time with Marlene; Barret's daughter eager to show her around Junon. There was so much of the city Aeris had barely glimpsed on that first visit.

Vincent was off doing whatever he did between planetary crisises while Cid and Shera continued enthusiastic airship and engine design over in Rocket Town. Nanaki fulfilled his heritage and was guardian of Cosmo Canyon. Everyone had something to do; even her. Reeve initially insisted she needed a grace period to adjust when she asked for a job or to help out with the WRO or something. At first she agreed, but not even a few days later she grew listless and eager to do something – anything. Reeve eventually asked what kind of project she had in mind. Regenerating mako damaged land was her spur of the moment suggestion; Reeve ran with it.

A cannier choice than she might have anticipated. The ugly scarring resulting from Mako use would benefit from restoration efforts, and the world-wide usage of Shinra's technology required attention all over the world. There were other plans considered for how to achieve a positive result, but Aeris had a natural talent in this area. The Lifestream still responded to her suggestions, and growing plants was still one of her skills. More sluggish and less elegant than it had once been. But nevertheless she could draw the Lifestream close to the dessicated regions and - with some grass seed - restore life to the land. A perfect job. And possibly a taller order than she anticpated. Even beginning work on the Junon landscape saw tiny gains per day no matter how much effort – and however much help Marlene provided as well.

Despite the slow going, the damaged land did become greener as she worked. A lot of effort but certainly worth it. And that was not even getting into the ultimate plan; hiding the ugly remains of Midgar beneath a carpet of foliage. Who knew how long that would take; not simply to get the land living again, but to encourage plants to take over. Aeris shook her head. She could do it; she would take as long as it needed to.

Cloud stopped by on occasion to help out as well. She got him to kneel down beside her and plant grass seed as she manipulated the Lifestream. The work seemed to please him and he stayed long past the time he claimed he had for a short break. As much as he seemed entirely content to roam the roads on his motorbike and make deliveries, he always wanted to stop by and help out. Fine with her.

Six months after her return, Cloud offhandedly mentioned a recent delivery to the Gold Saucer; the entertainment complex was now up and running once more. "Now that was a visit," Aeris murmured as she traced her hand across the dead soil, willing the Lifestream to return life to it. "I had fun both times we went there. Do you remember the play?"

Cloud grimaced. "Not sure I could ever forget that. I never knew what stage-fright was before."

Aeris chuckled. "But you still kept on going - even if you never said anything."

"All I could remember was the stage directions."

"And then we went on the gondola." She sighed. "It'd be nice to go back."

"I'm sure you can at some point," Cloud said sprinkling water over the buried seeds.

She shot a glance back towards the city behind them. "I think. I think I could ask for some holiday." Aeris glanced over at him. "Want to come to the Gold Saucer with me?"

He met her gaze for a moment and nodded. "Sure."

Aeris grinned. "Good. I still feel like I owe you that date. Hopefully this one won't be interrupted by a mechanical cat." Cloud flushed and she could not stop the smile even as she turned back to the ground and continued repairing the damage.


	5. Crossing the Ocean

So far the adventure had not been quite the epic tale Cloud expected. Sailing across the sea was, at least, an exciting start. Said excitement was somewhat diminished when it became clear that, despite all his best subterfuge and his maturity (all fourteen years of it), Mom had seen right through his plans. She knew what he was up to but pretended not to. Her softer tone and sudden concern the previous night made a lot more sense now.

Why would Mom not come out and admit she knew his plans? Mom was hard to understand at times. At least she hadn't beaten him over the head with her tray again. And she'd provided an in at the Adventure Society in Costa del Sol. And he was off on his own, following his father's footsteps. And perhaps Mom's too? It would be strange to be away from her now, but this was something he had to do. She understood that; she must. If nothing else she had done this herself. But how had he only discovered her rather exciting pirate-related past a few days ago? Something to ask about when he did finally make it home; and when they could compare adventure stories. In any case, he would do better than both of this parents. He would go to places they never even dreamed. Cloud would find the spirit sword and cross the End of the World; do what no one else ever had.

Currently that achievement was somewhere off in the future. At present the next most important item on the list of unexpected aspects of the trip was Marlene. She was still holding something of a grudge regarding his insistence that the situation was too perilous to allow her to accompany him. And ignored his best efforts to get her to stay home, so his best friend in the world (and her pet moogle) had snuck onto the ship ahead of him.

Thanks to an overly superstitious crew and immediately thereafter some frantic compromises, Cloud had lost his cramped but adequate cabin. Now both he and Marlene were part of the crew. That meant working on the ship and sleeping in the crew section; a cramped hold that stank of salt and sweat. After the first night his old cabin seemed like the pinnacle of luxury. Plus, prior to the crew finding Marlene, the ship offered a place to explore (so many different people), stare out to sea (sea monster or wave? So far always wave), enjoy the sea air (it smelled like adventure), plot for future escapades (to the End of the World), and anticipate the arrival in Costa del Sol (first stop the Adventurer's Society).

After Marlene's discovery, the ship offered few of the same delights, substituting in toil and stifling shared accommodation. The sea air remained a highlight, but for the most part only because it was so much cooler on deck. Plus there had been no obligations before. For once he had no chores and nothing he should be doing. Now the crew roused him and Marlene from sleep far too early each morning, handed them mops and ordered the pair to clean the deck.

The early hour at least ensured no passengers were around as they worked, but all too soon someone would leave a trail of footprints across all their hard work. And then those footprints would multiply as the day wore on requiring them to do it all over again the next day. No. No he was not going to let this get him down. This was nothing but another trial; one more stepping stone on the way to something greater. Maybe Dad did the same when he sailed across the ocean. Maybe Mom did too – and if so, she at least worked her way up from scrubbing the deck to being the captain of her own ship. Cloud paused half-way across the deck with dreams of getting his own ship until Marlene hissed at him to continue. Leaning down into the mop, Cloud pushed the mop onwards.

Some future high points; the crew were talking about picking up an additional passenger. The captain altered their heading without any complaints to take them near a pair of small islands; the first new land Cloud had ever seen. Shame they were not close enough to set foot there - and the small size seemed to limit potential for adventure. But it seemed that was an incorrect assumption. Afterall; their additional passenger was an adventurer.

* * *

The adventurer was something of a surprise. The crew seemed as excited as Cloud and Marlene at their impromptu guest's arrival, despite an apparent familiarity with the famed adventurer. Cloud almost missed their arrival, only by stages realising the distant sound was a commotion up on deck. Cloud anticipated a tall figure with long silver hair; just like his hero Sephiroth. Instead they found the crew clustered around - and in the process of asking a thousand questions of - a girl with long brown hair. The Adventurer was maybe a year older than him; thanks to another crew member, Cloud learned her name was Aeris.

Aeris somehow knew both of their names already, even taking a moment to gently admonish Marlene for the risks she took in stowing away. Aeris might not share the sailor's superstitions - and seemed oddly exempted from them - but she knew the risks they presented. Slightly flushed, Marlene apologised but then had difficulty not staring at Aeris in awe. Cloud found his voice almost too late. The same moment he managed to ask her about her life in the Adventurer Society – a question that seemed to evaporate Aeris's good mood and troubled her for some reason – the captain barged into proceedings and invited Aeris to discuss her latest escapades over a drink.

Marlene was incredibly impressed with Aeris and talked about her non-stop for the rest of the day. She had a new role-model; all the other examples of Adventurers Cloud could name had been male. Sephiroth, Cecil, Kain. Marlene had been an exception back in Junon of course, also determined to do what no one else had. It seemed Cloud could not truly adventure alone; he needed a party, and Marlene had been a constant companion since the start. Since before the start. And perhaps it had been a mistake to take Johnny's advice (Marlene had been so upset) and try and leave her behind; she was not about to let him do that again. But why did that mention of the Adventuerer's Society make Aeris look so glum? He would make a point to ask when they next saw her. If the chance ever came.

* * *

Another day, another start at a far too early time. Some relief at least to be out of the sweltering cabin and up in the cold morning air. Marlene was happily speculating about how she wanted to braid her hair like Aeris while Cloud figured out what might be possible to do after their shift this morning. They both stumbled to a halt when they reached the deck. It gleamed in the early morning sun; far better than any one of their previous efforts. "Hey guys!" a voice called. Aeris stood leaning on a mop at the far end of the deck grinning at the two of them. "You took too long, so I took care of this for you! Figured it gives up more time to hang out."

Marlene squealed and jumped for joy before she rushed over to Aeris. Cloud sauntered as casually as he could, already desperate to ask her questions. Another step closer to Costa del Sol, the Adventurer Society and the End of the World.


	6. The Date

Aeris clung tighter to Cloud's arm, her warmth contrasting with the chill breeze. The wind tossed dead leaves along the sidewalk and brough with it a faint scent of woodsmoke. Cloud smiled and shifted his arm around Aeris's waist and pulled her closer. The sun was not far off the horizon now, the sky shifting from blue to an increasingly deep red. The fallen leaves crunched underfoot as they headed- Cloud blinked. Where were they going? "I always like this time of year," Aeris murmured.

"The Autumn?" Cloud blinked, suddenly a little light-headed. He was forgetting something. Something on the tip of his tongue. Something important.

"Yes. Summer's too hot, Winter's too cold. But Fall?" She grinned at him, pressing herself against him. "Is pretty much perfect. Plus it's a great excuse to get closer to you." Aeris leant her head against his chest.

The worry faded but did not vanish entirely. "So what do you-" He cut himself off. There. That same sensation of an absence. Of something missing, something he should know but did not.

"-want to do now?" Aeris completed his question. "Not up to me. This is your date so we can do whatever you want. Go to the movies, go out for dinner..." She trailed off, glanced around and lowered her voice. "Or just head home and see what happens there?"

His cheeks heated up at the implication. Home. Bed. The two of them alone. Skin against skin. But why had she checked for witnesses? There was no one visible in the growing twilight. Darkness had already engulfed the distant ends of the street as night fell. It would get brighter when the streetlights lit up. Strange they weren't. A new wave of dizziness; there were no streetlights here. But now a soft white light offset the darkness; the trees were glowing. Like the ones-

A rush of vertigo washed across Cloud followed closely by a lurch in his stomach as if he was in free-fall. His arms felt fuzzy, like he was dissolving, dispersing. Absurd. He was here with Aeris. Focus on the date. Date? The moment they stopped in the play-park? No, that was not a date. The date should be somewhere else. The Gold Saucer was a perfect location; Aeris had made the right choice. And it wasn't like they could go anywhere until- "We should avoid Cait Sith," Cloud blurted his head swimming.

Bad idea; Aeris's smile faded and that sense of falling, of dispersing came again. Why had he brought up the robot Reeve controlled like that? Wait, he only learned about the man behind the cat- "We can't go to the Gold Saucer. Not today," Aeris said firmly, derailing his train of thought. "Maybe it would be best if we just went home."

"Home-" Mom's house on fire. The Seventh Heaven in Edge. A grey room with nothing but the cot he fitfully slept on. His chest clogged each morning, each cough sending splintering pain right through him as his lungs wheezed and he gasped for air. His vision faded and blurred, the world around him turned vague. The ache in his joints like when he struggled to his feet. Alone. No one in the house. Everyone else was gone. Long gone. Except for- "Nanaki was going to visit me. And Vincent might be there-"

"Not today. Today it's just us. At. Home." Aeris's fingers dug into his arm, the pain barely registering against the grating scream of his joints. "Look. It's right there." She pointed across the street.

Cloud's head swam again, the world threatening to slide out from under him. Where had he and Aeris been and where were they going if home was right there? He gazed in the direction she indicated with difficulty, the world wobbling dangerously. An unfamiliar building across the street. A single-story cottage with a green wooden door, dark stone walls, a thatched roof and leaded windows. Beneath the windows flowerbeds burst with colour and a long, green lawn stretched to the white fence encircling the garden. Where was that building from? Not from Edge. Not Midgar either; the sky was clear, and they weren't on a plate or anything like that. Were they? No. Flowers could not grow easily or perhaps at all within the city. "That's not home."

Aeris muttered something under her breath. The world wavered and now a larger house sat on the other side of the road. Aeris's, or rather, Elmyra's house. The one in the Sector Five slums; as incongruous to its surroundings as it always had been. Too nice for the slums, ideal for Aeris and Elmyra. But Elmyra didn't live there anymore. No one lived in Sector Five. No one lived in Midgar. How was it here? "I don't feel well," Cloud muttered. His legs were like jelly, barely able to support his weight.

He sagged and Aeris hung onto him, supporting his weight, trying to keep him on his feet. "You're tired. Let's get you sat down and we'll take a break."

Cloud nodded, relieved to achieve some measure of rest. He turned to her to thank her- She was wearing pink. Pink dress, red bolero jacket, those brown boots. A pink ribbon in her hair and a black one at her throat. She wore the same clothes as she always had since he met her. Aeris looked the same as his dream of her when she left for the City of the Ancients. After the Temple. After he handed the black materia to Sephiroth. Before the city. Before- His throat was tight and he gulped painfully, his breath now catching in his throat. "Aeris-"

"Cloud," she said in a calm, firm voice. Something else too; a hint of worry behind her words. "Please. Don't think-"

"You-"

"Cloud." Her voice wavered.

"You died."

Aeris sagged and let out a strangled sob, her eyes glassy with tears. "I hoped this would work." Her body was stiff beside him. "I just wanted to see what it would be like." Cloud's leg gave way beneath him, the pain flaring up and then- The pain receded. Cloud fell, unable to do anything but stare up at her as she grew more and more distraught, more distant somehow. Cloud opened his mouth but nothing came out, his lungs empty. A faint whispering grew louder and louder, the noise near painful as the world tinted green. "Sorry. I just wanted to repay you. But-" He tried to reach for her, the pain in his arms now gone but his arm would not move. Aeris grew dimmer, the street, the sky, the crunch of the leaves all gone. "I'm sorry, Cloud," Aeris said somewhere beyond the edge of the world, only the faintest echoes of her words audible. And then she was gone.

* * *

The swirl of Lifestream that was as much of Cloud Strife as Aeris could find dissipated back into the collective mass. Aeris sank to her knees, forcing the street to hold together for a few more moments. She had not been able to draw enough of him back even after so much searching. There had been too many holes in Cloud's memory and too many awkward details she could not work around based on what he did and did not remember. So much effort and so much time to collect even those scraps of Cloud. To put him back into something approaching coherence. All lost and scattered again.

Could she work up the effort to try again? Perhaps, but the more time passed, the harder it became to find Clouid as he became ever more diluted across the entirety of the Lifestream. Perhaps it would be best to now let him rest; better to anticipate Cloud's rebirth in whole or part as was the intended cycle of life. She had her own memories still. They were all she had left, detached and separate from everything. Perhaps that would be enough. Perhaps not. The street dissolved and the last Cetra, still watching over the world, idly picked at a thread of consciousness, at what had once been a man named Cloud Strife.


	7. Late for Work

Aeris opened her eyes, the fear seizing her a moment later. Too light outside. What time...? She fumbled for the bedside clock. 9:30. Nine. Thirty. Not six-thirty or seven-thirty. Or even eight-thirty when things might at least be salvageable but it would be a panicked rush without a shower or brushing her teeth or breakfast. No. It was nine-thirty. Nine-thirty meant she was late. Not amazingly so, but by the time she could be out of the house, let alone at work- It did not bear thinking about.

The alarm should have gone off at seven! Did she somehow not set the alarm last night? Or had she rolled over and turned it off without realizing two and a half hours ago? No, no memory of that, though somehow the extra sleep fogged her head more than normal wake-up time.

Silly mistake; she must have forgotten to set the alarm before bed. But how? Why had she not have thought to check if the alarm was set last night? Never assume, always check. She always set an alarm otherwise she would never get up on time, even if she went to bed at a sensible hour. There were never enough hours in the evening or enough hours in the day; seemed like she had been cutting into her sleeping pattern more than was sensible.

Aeris sat up, flung back the covers, ready to begin a frantic rush for the bathroom and stopped. The door that should lead to the hallway was missing. No, wait, it was over there. Against that wall. And the windows were beside her, covered with blinds that stretched from floor to ceiling. The bedroom never looked like this. Where was she?

The room was spacious and minimalist. The floor consisted of marbled tiles; the walls half-panelled with wood; the ceiling boasted a plaster rose around the light-fitting. The second of two doors on the other side of the bed looked like it lead into an en-suite bathroom. The tint of mold was missing from the air, as was the persistent mako taint. In its place was something similar to sea-air.

This wasn't home. This was not her bed. Not her sheets. And now she stopped to think, it was unclear what was she late for. She frowned. While today should be Monday - and that usually meant work - something was different today. If it were Sunday she would be able to relax; together with Cloud she would do the housework, go for a walk, get ready for the week ahead. If something took either of their fancy, they might head to the cinema for an hour or two. Or go get coffee.

But today was Monday. And this Monday was different. Apart from the waking up in a strange bed in a strange room. At least Cloud was still dozing beside her. The sun slanting in through the parted blinds was really bright. It never looked like that in Kalm-

Memory returned in a rush and her head swam for a moment. Today was different. Today she and Cloud were on holiday. Holiday. No work. No one with them. The two of them. Alone. For a whole week. A whole week off after who knew how long. Today - for a change - there was nothing they had to do, nowhere they had to go. Today was theirs to do with as they pleased. As was tomorrow and indeed the rest of the week. Aeris sat back on the mattress, her panic fading away.

From outside - in that bright, bright sunlight - came the sounds of people. People enjoying themselves. The buzz of conversation, the excited shrieks and yells of children playing. A distant crash of waves against the beach. Holiday. Their holiday in Costa del Sol. Aeris grinned.

The beach resort was perhaps not the ideal destination all things considered but it would do just fine for now - not quite at peak holiday season and not unbearably hot. Especially given Cloud owned a literal mansion here. It made sense to make use of the place and they were doing exactly that. A holiday away from work, responsibilities, from everything. Cloud stirred beside her. "What time is it?" he asked bleary-eyed as he rolled over to look up at her.

"Still early," she murmured and lay back down, cuddled against him. Cloud stifled a yawn, but moved to spoon her the moment she rolled onto her side. His breathing evened out after a moment and Aeris let her own eyelids droop until they closed. No plans, nothing they needed to get up for. They could sort all that when they next woke up. A whole week to do with what they wanted. Aeris smiled and let herself doze off.


End file.
